Taking place on a spaceship in an asteroid belt in the future, a crew of soldiers are defending themselves against an onslaught of Daleks. One of them is saved by the Doctor, who is promptly taken to examine a captured Dalek. Picking up Clara from school, while there she meet's Danny Pink, a new teacher, and they are asked to cure the fault in the Dalek so as to determine a weakness to help the soldiers in this battle. In order to do this, they must venture into the most dangerous place in the universe, the interior of the Dalek.
Watching this episode, I noticed something a bit too familiar in terms of the writing and atmosphere. I couldn't place it until the Dalek started going on a rampage throughout the base and then it hit me...THIS IS ALMOST AN EXACT CARBON COPY OF THE EPISODE DALEK FROM SERIES ONE! I mean its a Dalek that's sick from being morally compromised, is trapped by a military group against it's will and it brings to light some moral quandaries concerning the Doctors emotional well-being. As well as the claustrophobia evoked by the close spaces and being on the run from an insane Dalek. But at the same time, while a carbon copy, it does convey that atmosphere as well, not to mention the interaction between the Doctor and the Dalek. Part of me feels as though this could have been a very suspenseful and tense episode if, for example, the Doctor and Clara infiltrated the Dalek while it was on the run and thus it would become a race against time to stop the Dalek from wiping out the crew and contacting it's allies. But seeing the complicated science that goes into a Dalek is very cool, what with the anti-bodies and the feeding off organic matter in the form of gunk (best word for it).
What I really want to compliment however is the characters in this episode. He seems much more cynical and critical to everyone, even Clara. We see a very dark, almost insane quality to Capaldi as he tries to reason between science fact and optimistic hope. Can a good Dalek exist or is it just wishful thinking? Not to mention the fact that darkness is the forefront of the Doctor's mind, inspiring the dalek to enact brutal carnage on the Dalek oppressors. And how can we forget the final parting message. This seriously left my mouth on the floor, that the only thing considered a good Dalek is one that performs amicably in the ways of a dalek. Again I have to compliment the excellent development and portrayal of Clara, taking a distinctive edge, using tactical brilliance and proving to be strict or playful where necessary. Man, I wish she was my teacher. Another whom I must compliment is Danny Pink (played by Samuel Anderson). In one episode I can already tell that I like him. He's like a less accident prone Mickey, with a hint of goofiness and tragedy to give his character some mystery. Just seeing him try to hold everything in, whilst in front
of a class, and almost break down, it's just heartbreaking.
So for our final verdict and opinion, who is Missy and why is she recruiting all those whom the Doctor has "killed". I hope she doesn't become some second rate River Swan, because that's what I am getting from her. Overall, intriguing, if a bit familliar, could have been more tense. For what we got, an interesting dive into the psyche of a Dalek, not one of the stand outs among Dalek episodes, but definitely among the series.
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